Tuesday, February 17, 2009

La Otracina Vinyl Reviewed on Foxy Digitalis.

The LP opens with a punch drunk rock epic that feels as fresh and ageless as the greatest Flower Travellin’ Band sides. A schizophrenic Mise-en-scène keeps you in swathed surprise for all of a rolling quarter hour. A primary set up of guitar, drums and bass play through and off each other with blissful psych surf-rock shapes. This is exciting instrumental rock that quakes the feeble ‘lounge’ musak of so many post-rock protagonists. Glorious arcs of guitar that wouldn’t feel out of place on an LSD March or Bardo Pond (circa Lapsed) jam abound with tireless creativity. Some of the sickest bass formations are driven by the fingers of Evan Sobel, without feeling trite or glam. The sun-drenched energy and unabashed bravado of this group’s sound has me on my knees, praying for summer evenings and crates of ice-pearled beer.

The pace dissolves to an ambient tremble as you feel a sense of relief after the chaotic primary chunk of sound. Eventually flange guitar sounds echo and search your psyche with drifting moments in a fade-out - always hoped for but never quite realized in some of the greatest psych outings of the late 60’s. This is continued into the third movement, and then tranced upwards with a classic pounding drumbeat under bird-like guitar and liquid bass. Some incredibly contorted squeals are heaped upon a relentless percussion. Then all explodes into a head swaying bliss-out that tumbles with a damn groovy bass line and heart wrenching lead that will have you punching the fuck out of the air!

The final track is drenched in slides of experiment feeling like a lost Ghost classic. Reverb drenched hypnotica is jumpstarted after a few minutes with another killer riff that demands body spasms. The ability to shift so comfortably through various styles and tempos, gives this band the right to embrace and deliver post-rock as a term to be proud of. 8/10 -- Peter Taylor (12 February, 2009)